Sounding alarm-buoy



(No Model.) f 2 sheets-sheet 1. A; L. WOODWURTH. SOUNDING ALARM BUOY.

810.888,884. A Patented Aug. 21, 1888.'

WITNESSES by INVEJV'I'OR l l tomey (No Modem K 2 sheen-'sheen 2.

A. L. WOODWORTH.

SOUNDING ALARM BUOY. No. 388,384. Patented Aug. 21.1888.

|| ii I| UNITED STATES PATENT' Ori-uca.

ALBERT L. VOODWOR'IH, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

SOUNDING ALARM-BUOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,384, dated August21, 1888.

Application filed April 26, 1888.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. WOOD- WORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk andState of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSounding Alarm-Buoys; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull,clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, -which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in buoys ofthat class which carry a bell for sounding an alarm,said bell beingactuated either by the movement of the waves or tidal influences; and itconsists, more particularly, in providing a bell- 4 buoy withamooring-fin,and atan angle therewith a depending iin, to cause the buoyto be operated by tidal influences or currents.

The invention further consists in providing the buoy with a bell, andclapper therefor pivoted beneath the same.

The invention further consists in the construction and combination oftheparts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a buoyconstructed in accordance with my improvement. Fig. 2 is aside view,partly in section. Fig.3 is a horizontal sectional View taken throughthe line x x of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view showing a modeof adjusting the clapper-support. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of ameans for adjusting the lower depending fin of the buoy.

A refers to the iioat, which may be of ordinary shape and preferablyconstructed of sheet metal, the one in the drawings being hemispherical.

To one side of the float is suitably secureda iin, B, which is providednear its lower edge with a strap, B, the outer end of which is formedinto an eye, to which is secured the mooring-cable. This iin may also beprovided with an upper eye, b', for the attachment thereto of a bridleor loop, which will also be secured to the lower eye, to which themooring-cable may be fastened.

Serial No. 271.886. (No model.)

rIo the lower portion of the iioat A is attached a casting, O, which maybe vof such size and configuration as to counterbalance the upperstructure of the buoy. This casting is secured to the shell forming theiioat by suitable bolts or rivets.

Any approved form of weight may be employed without departing from thespirit of myinvention. The Weight shown in the ac` companying drawingsis continued outside of the float and formed into a disk, which, nearits circumference, is provided with perforations to secure thereto adisk or plate with downwardly-projectingll1gscc,between which the lin Dis secured by bolts d. By this means the iin can be secured to the oatat any desired angle with the iin B, which is rigidly secured to thefloat. The disk to which the finis fastened has perforationstherein,which register with the perforations in the disk formed integral withthe casting C.

Instead of employing the means just described for connecting the fin Dto the casting C, said casting may be provided with a cylindricalsocket, as shown in Fig. and the disk to which the depending flu is'attached may have an upwardly-projecting pin to fit within said socket,with a circumferential groove, with which a set-screw may engage topermit of the adjustment of the fin.

To the upper surface of the float is rigidly secured a superstructure,E, which is preferably constructed of angle-iron, and at the meetingpoint of the upwardly-converging bars forming this superstructure abell, F, is rigidly secured, and beneath this bell the frame hasattached thereto a platform, G, to which bearing-plates g are secured toreceive the trunnions on the lower end of the bell-clapper. At

right angles with the trunnions springs h are secured to the platformfor holding the clapper from the bell after the blow has been struck toprevent muffling the sound.

The clapper may be pvoted in bearings secured to an adjustable plate,z', (see Fig. 4,) which is secured to a anged plate rigidly secured tothe platform, so that the line of the bearings with respect to theposition of the fins B and D can be movable, as may be desired.

The ilat surface of the float maybe provided centrally with a man-hole,as shown in Fig. 1.

vThe buoy hereiubefore described will operate effectively where there isno wave motion, as the proportion of the parts is such that theslightest movement of the buoy will throw the clapper in contact withthe bell. In calm weather, and in localities where there are practicallyno waves, there is not sufficient movement with ordinary buoys to soundthe bell, and as fogs usually accompany such Weather the ordinarybell-buoys are ineffectual, as no means, to my knowledge, has ever beenprovided for operating the bell ofa buoy by tidal influences, nor has abuoy been provided which is operative in a current without the influenceof waves.

vVhen myimproved buoy is moored in acurrent, the fin B will be heldnormally in the di rection of the current, and the flow of waterStriking against the [in D will cause the float to swerve not only toone side, but off the ceuter of gravity, to incline the float andsuperstructure carrying the bell. Owing to thc iuiiuence of the currentthe buoy will swervc to aline with the direction of the current andswing to one side of said line, throwing the superstructure to theopposite side. This movement, experiments have demonstrated, is kept upcontinuously, and, when placed in a current, a buoy constructed ashereinbefore described is never at rest, and the intluence of the tideor current, combined with the stationary mooring, semicircular float,and fins when arranged at proper angles with the float, all combine tokeep up a constant movement and a constant ringing of the bell.

The throw required to throw the clapper off its center is very small,owing to the length of the arm to which the clapper is attached.

The height of the superstructure, length of the clapper, and size andangle of the fins may loe varied to suit the strength of differentcurrents, and I do not wish to limit myself to any particular forms ofconstruction hereiubefore described and shown; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a bell-buoy, ofafloat having a mooring-fin and afin at an angle therewith, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a bell-buoy, of a lioat and superstructuremounted thereon, from which a bell is rigidly suspended, and aclapperfor said bell pivoted beneath the same, said clapper being operatedsolely by the movement of the buoy, substantially as shown, and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a bell-buoy, ofa float provided with a mooringfin which extends from the top to the base thereof, and adepending finsecured to the base of the buoy at an angle with the mooring-iin,substantially as shown.

4. The combination, in a buoy, of a heinispherical float having a tinrigidly secured thereto, said fin being provided with means forattaching a mooring-cable thereto, a depending fm, D, secured to thebase of the buoy, so as to be adjustable thereon, and a super1`structure carrying a bell and clapper, said clapper being pivoted belowthe bell, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, in a bell-buoy constructed substantially as shown,of a casting, C, serving as a weight for the buoy, and means forattaching thereto a depending fin, means for mooring the buoy tomaintain said fin normally at an angle with the current, and asuperstructure carrying a bell and pivoted clap per, substantially asset forth.

6. The combination, in a buoy, of a superstructure having a bell rigidlysecured to the upper portion thereof, a platform beneath said bellhaving bearings to which a clapper is pivoted, and springs for holdingthe clapper out of contact wit-h the bell after the blow has beenstruck, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with a buoy, a super-` ALBERT L. VOODVORTH.

lVitnesses:

THEoDoRE S. GARNETT, WM. H. VHITE.

